1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Fall 2015

Sky Breaking II Brings Leaders Together to

Commemorate Statewide Mapping Milestone Alaska needs to have accurate mapping to manage its abundance of natural resources. In 2006, a state

mapping project, the Alaska Statewide Digital Mapping Initiative, started the process of acquiring new and

better maps statewide and making existing map products more easily available. Today, this program is

managed by the Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC), an intergovernmental council consisting of state

commissioners, regional federal directors, local governments, and the private sector. Over 60% of the state has

now been mapped to high-resolution, modern standards. To commemorate this progress and recognize the

efforts of the AGC and its partners, a “Sky Breaking II” event was held at the FedEx hangar in Anchorage.

Government officials and over 100 industry leaders

and contractors were on-hand to celebrate the

mapping milestone. Governor Walker thanked the

state’s federal partners for supporting the project and

asked everyone to continue working on this project

knowing that it is supported by his administration.

He offered his congratulations on a job well done but

needing to be completed.

Accurate maps are foundational to infrastructure,

utility and transportation development; oil and gas

infrastructure, and mineral development; industrial

planning including groundwater contamination

mitigation and restoration; urban and agricultural

land use development; project design and

engineering; and telecommunications development.

The AGC website states, “the public lands in Alaska

are some of the most substantial in the northern

hemisphere and are undeniably National treasures.

These facts magnify the importance of effectively

inventorying and managing these resources in order

for Alaskans, and indeed all Americans to realize

the true wealth that lies within Alaska.”

From Right - Governor Walker at the Sky Breaking II

event with Senator Murkowski, DOT&PF Commis-

sioner Luiken, and AGC Project Manager Nick Mas-

trodicasa.

The Sky Breaking II event held at the FedEx hangar in-

cluded vendors with displays and information.

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Message from DC Binder:

I realize it’s still fall in parts of our state, but at our

northern airports, snow is already on the ground. In

preparation for winter operations, airport managers

and airlines have been meeting to review snow and

ice control plans and other requirements to meet air

carrier needs. One of our priorities is to communicate

often and work closely with airline customers and ten-

ants to overcome challenges immediately. As a re-

minder, you are often our first “eyes on the ground”

and your feedback is critical to identifying issues and

initiating a department response.

This month will see several training opportunities for

airport managers and staff. The American Associa-

tion of Airport Executives will be here twice in Octo-

ber to instruct the Certified Member (CM) Academy,

a five-day training course that provides a comprehen-

sive overview of airport operations and management,

followed by the AAAE Advanced Airport Safety and

Operations Specialist training. We strive to invest

heavily in our most valuable resource, our people, and

the state as a whole benefits tremendously from the

skills they acquire.

Our state’s fiscal situation continues to be a common

theme, and the governor’s Aviation Advisory Board

met in August to continue investigating revenue gen-

eration options and the sustainability of Alaska’s rural

airport system. The board will be making a recom-

mendation to the governor soon and DOT&PF will

continue to partner with all aviation stakeholders on a

workable model. Your input is valued, and I continue

to solicit your innovative ideas.

Finally, I want to congratulate one of our Fairbanks

International Airport mechanics, John Frison, for win-

ning the National Association of State Aviation Offi-

cials’ (NASAO) Most Innovative State Award. This

is the first time the State of Alaska has been recog-

nized for an award by NASAO, and to win this partic-

ular one is especially gratifying. John’s revolutionary

ice breaker will result in significant cost and time sav-

ings, and may very well set a new industry standard.

Well done, John!

Thank you to all those involved in keeping Alaska’s

aviation system operating smoothly and safely. No

season reinforces the importance of our aviation life-

line more than the Alaskan winter, and we rely on

each one of you as we partner to serve Alaskans.

Fly safe!

John Binder

Deputy Commissioner

Ketchikan Airport Manager Mike Carney provided

the Governor’s Aviation Advisory Board an over-

view of airport operations and revenue streams sup-

porting this airport during its August meeting.

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Governor Walker Appreciates Aviation!

Governor Walker proclaimed September as Aviation

Appreciation Month at the Sky Breaking II ceremony

held in August at the FedEx hangar. He presented a

copy of the proclamation to a group of aviation stake-

holders at the event. Governor Walker emphasized

the importance of aviation in Alaska and the critical

role it plays in everyday life of Alaska’s people and

economy. Read full proclamation here.

Did You Know….

The aviation industry generates $3.5 billion and

over 47,000 Alaskan jobs annually, accounting for

10% of the jobs in Alaska

There are 737 registered airports and seaplane ba-

ses, housing 9,347 registered aircraft utilized by

8,032 active pilots

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is

ranked #2 in North America for landed weight of

cargo and #5 in the world for cargo throughput

China Airlines Increases

Winter Tourism To Fairbanks One of the best places in the world to see the

Aurora Borealis!

There’s an exciting development in aurora tourism as

Fairbanks prepares to welcome more international pas-

sengers this winter. China Airlines announced they

will operate three charter flights in December from

Taipei to Fairbanks in A340 aircraft that seat 276 pas-

sengers. The tourists will stay in Fairbanks for four

nights and five days, participating in aurora-centered

tour programs.

This is also exciting news for Fairbanks International

Airport as it continues to market Fairbanks as a desti-

nation for international passenger and cargo flights.

China Airlines is Taiwan’s largest airline with a fleet

of 101 aircraft and more than 11,000 employees

worldwide. As one of the SkyTeam airline alliance’s

20 members, China Airlines offers passengers access

to an extensive global network of more than 16,270

daily flights to 1,057 destinations in 179 countries.

Find out more at www.china-airlines.com

Governor Walker presents proclamation at Sky Breaking

ceremony. Pictured, from left, are FAA Officials Kerry

Long and Ravi Chaudhary; PenAir executives Al Orot and

Matt Macri; DOT&PF Deputy Commissioner John Binder,

Governor Walker, Aviation Advisory Board Member Steve

Strait, Alaska Air Carriers Association Executive Director

Jane Dale, DOT&PF Statewide Aviation Linda Bustamante,

AACA Board Member Norman Chance, and DOT&PF

Commissioner Marc Luiken.

Photo courtesy Rob Stapleton/Alaskafoto

DOT&PF Photo - Scott Simpson

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Mike Coffey New

Southcoast Region Director

For the first time in more than 35 years, the depart-

ment changed its regional boundaries. It also promot-

ed Mike Coffey to the first full-time Regional Director

of the new Southcoast Region. The new region in-

cludes the coastal regions of Southeast Alaska, Kodiak

Island, Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Chain.

There are 19 maintenance stations in the new region -

Adak, Akun, Cold Bay, Gustavus, Haines, Hoonah,

Iliamna, Juneau, Kalsin Bay, Ketchikan, Klawock,

Kodiak, Naknek/King Salmon, Petersburg, Sitka,

Skagway, Unalaska, Wrangell, and Yakutat.

Mike has over 30 years of maintenance, operations,

design and construction experience with DOT&PF. In

his previous position as Chief of Statewide Mainte-

nance and Operations, he was responsible for the de-

velopment of the Alaska Maintenance Leadership

Academy, implementation of the Everyday Lean In-

novations and Ideas Initiative, and the creation of a

rural airport contractor training program. Mike has a

special interest in winter maintenance and has been

responsible for bringing an enhanced salt brine anti-

icing program, TowPlows, ice breakers, and an Alaska

Specific EMDSS to Alaska.

DOT&PF Commissioner Luiken said, “Mike has

shown great leadership in his role as Chief of

Statewide M&O through the implementation of effi-

ciencies and department-wide collaboration. Mike is

the perfect fit for the position and we are fortunate to

have him step into this new and challenging role.”

New Manager at Nome Airport

Joseph “JJ” Johnson

Joseph Johnson, a three year veteran with the State of

Alaska has accepted the position of Rural Airport

Foreman for the Nome Station. Born in Anchorage

and raised in Nome, Joseph has built an extensive con-

struction background over the last eight years. He was

hired by the Department of Transportation and Public

Facilities in 2012 as a seasonal summer hire with the

highway crew. After four months of working as a la-

borer and driver he was offered a full-time equipment

operator position at the Nome Airport.

The Nome Airport serves as a major hub for the trans-

portation network of the Bering Strait region, serving

over 59,000 passengers and 19,000 tons of cargo and

mail annually. Initially constructed by the military as

a strategic regional facility, the Nome Airport now

provides regularly scheduled commercial passenger

air service to communities throughout the region, as

well as the only regional connection to Ted Stevens

Anchorage International Airport. Nome City Field,

located approximately one mile east of the Nome Air-

port, is a general aviation (GA) runway serving small

aircraft.

Major construction projects at this airport include the

recently completed apron improvements and runway

safety area project that will be completed in 2016.

The contract amount for both projects is

$27,817,793.00

Airport Highlights

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act recog-

nized the growing need to integrate Unmanned Aerial

Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System,

and established six national test sites to help accom-

plish this goal. In December 2013 FAA selected the

University of Alaska as one of the six test site spon-

sors. The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Sys-

tems Integration (ACUASI) is part of the University

Alaska Fairbanks within the Geophysical Institute,

and the UA Board of Regents gave ACUASI the role

of leading all unmanned aircraft programs for the UA

system.

There are dynamic changes happening with the un-

manned aircraft industry and DOT&PF is at the table

with other lead representatives from industry and the

FAA discussing how to move forward safely. For

more information go to http://acuasi.alaska.edu

Upcoming Events

OCTOBER 22 - 2015 Mat-Su Transportation

Fair - 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Curtis D. Menard Memorial

Sports Center, 1001 S Mack Drive, Wasilla, Alas-

ka

NOVEMBER 6 - Alaska Air Carriers Association

Aviation Legends & Medallion Safety Awards Din-

ner, 5 p.m. Anchorage Marriott Hotel, call 277-0071

for tickets.

NOVEMBER 21 - Aviation Safety Foundation

Fall Safety Seminar, Coast Int’l Inn 8:00 a.m. call

907-243-7237 or 907-229-6885 for more infor-

mation.

DON’T MISS! . . . . Hangar Flying Episodes air on KAKM Channel 7 at 5:40 p.m. every Monday and Friday. YOUR AVIATION LINK! - Join Rob Stapleton weekly as he covers aviation events and stories statewide on Channel 4 News at 9:00 p.m. and Chan-nel 13 News at 10:00 p.m. (Statewide coverage)

New Airport Inspection Program

Helps DOT&PF Manage Airport Assets

The Capital Improvement and Maintenance Program,

CIMP for short, is a new process that will identify and

prioritize capital and maintenance needs on an air-

port. Using Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, inspections

will be performed consistently and will contain a

great deal of information used in the planning and

maintaining of the system. Each inspection is loaded

into a centralized database at www.AlaskaASP.com

and stored for easy access.

Statewide Aviation and DOWL traveled to Central,

Northern, and Southcoast regions in June and July

and provided training through a model airport inspec-

tion to demonstrate the program. Staff from Design,

Planning, Maintenance and Operations, Statewide

Equipment Fleet, and Facilities gathered to learn the

program and its features. By the end of October, 45

airport inspections will be complete. The CIMP pro-

gram is funded by the FAA under the Alaska Aviation

System Plan.

For more information on the CIMP program or the

Alaska Aviation System Plan, please contact Rebec-

ca Rauf at rebecca.rauf@alaska.gov.

DOT&PF staff watch as DOWL contractor Dwight

Stuller demonstrates the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet

during an inspection of a general aviation airport in

Fairbanks.

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

NASAO Awards John Frison Most Innovative State Program Award

The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) awarded our own John Frison, airfield

mechanic at the Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), the Most Innovative State Program Award for

his design of “Yeti,” a snow and ice crusher. “This revolutionary icebreaker will result in significant cost

and time savings, and may set a new industry standard,” said DOT&PF Deputy Commissioner John

Binder. “It’s the first time a member of DOT&PF has been recognized by NASAO and is a huge honor

for John and the department.”

As airports across the nation adapt to changing climates, the team at FAI came up with a unique idea to

improve the removal of ice and compact snow. John took the idea behind commercial icebreakers and

designed an icebreaking machine named the Yeti. The Yeti fractures ice on runways and taxiways by

creating pockets in the ice allowing deicing chemicals to access the underlying asphalt faster. DOT&PF

encourages all employees to share ideas that make

operational improvements.

The Yeti was first submitted to the department’s

“Everyday Lean Innovations and Ideas” program.

And was the winner of the Commissioner’s

Innovation of the Year Award. It also received a

Governor’s Denali Peak performance Award

honorable mention for Innovation in Cost-savings.

L-R Statewide Aviation Operations Manager Troy

LaRue, John Frison, and DOT&PF Deputy Com-

missioner John Binder at the NASAO Conference

Awards Banquet.

Yeti Jr.

John Frison and the Yeti.

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Air Force One Arrives in Dillingham and Kotzebue

A once-in-a-lifetime event came to our regional airports. DOT&PF airport managers and staff performed

magnificently working closely with members of the White House Communications Agency and the Crew of

Air Force One in support of President Obama’s visit to both communities. Certificates of appreciation

thanked them for their “unique abilities, superb attitude and professionalism enabling the agency to provide

critical communications for the president, the White House staff, and the United States Secret Service.”

Signed photo of Air Force One presented to the

Kotzebue Airport Team.

L-R Air Force One Presidential Advance Agent -

Toby, Kotzebue DOT airport staff: Jackson

Snyder, Ess Scott, Charles Gallahorn, Alvin Wer-

neke, and Air Force One Presidential Advance

Agent, Buddy.

Air Force One was the first Boeing 757 passen-

ger jet to land at the Kotzebue Airport with one

of our finest standing guard!

When the president travels, he brings a few vehi-

cles with him! The Dillingham Airport provided

its maintenance hangar as temporary storage for

the vehicles and this Boeing C-17 is how they ar-

rived.

1 Plane Talk Winter 2014

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

Division of Statewide Aviation

4111 Aviation Ave.

Anchorage, Alaska 99502

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